Best Ukrainian Borscht Recipes

AUTHENTIC RUSSIAN/UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• To a large pot (I use 8qts), add the meat and enough water to fill up the pot to halfway.
• Remove all froth that comes up from the meat.
• Continue to boil on med-high until no more froth comes up.
• Reduce heat to low and add consomme mix, whole onion, dill, beats, cabbage, and tomato sauce.
• Fill with water, cover partially with lid, and let cook for 90min.
• After that hour and a half of cooking, make sure meat is soft - then add the carrots, and squeeze all the juice you can possible juice from the lemons into the soup.
• You can add the rice and/or potatoes at this point, if you like.
• Cook, partially covered, for another 30-45 minutes, until making sure the potatoes and carrots are tender, and the rice (if you put any in) is ready.
• The soup is great on day 1, but tastes much better on days 2-3.
• Enjoy the soup while it's very hot.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs, 3 to 4 minutes per side; set aside.
• Add 1 onion, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Return ribs to Dutch oven, and add wine; simmer for 1 minute. Add chicken stock; bring to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. Cover; transfer to oven, and roast until ribs are tender, 3 hours.
• Shred ribs, discarding fat and bones. Strain stock through a sieve, and skim off fat. (You should have 2 cups.)
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add remaining onion and the garlic; cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add celery root and carrots; cook for 4 minutes. Add reserved stock, the cabbage, beets, water, and tomato paste. Cook for 30 minutes. Add meat; cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice and vinegar; garnish with parsley.

MEATY UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a 5-6 quart pot, bring meat and water to boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer and skim of foam. When foam stops rising, add salt, carrot, 1/4 celery root, whole onion and allspice; simmer gently, partially covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat falls of the bone. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scub beets, wrap in foil and bake for an hour, or until just tender. Poke through foil with skewer to check for doneness. Peel beets; shred on coarse side of grater. When meat is very tender, remove, strip off bones, and cut into small cubes. Place in bowl; cover with foil. Strain broth. Rinse out pot. Place pot over medium heat, warm butter, and saute onion 2-3 minutes. Add cubed celery root, parsips, turnips and carrot. Saute 5 minutes. Add strained broth, potatoes and shredded beets. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Just before serving, while soup is simmering gently, stir in garlic and lemon juice. Remove from heat immediately. Serve pipping hot in flat bowls with dollop of sour cream and generous sprinkling of parsley and dill.

LATVIAN BORSCHT(AKA UKRAINIAN BORSHCH)

Steps:

• Heat the stock in a large soup pot, add cabbage and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, mix the beets, vinegar, bacon fat, sugar, and tomatoes in a saucepan and cook gently, covered, for about 5 minutes.
• Set aside.
• Then, in another small pan, heat the butter, mix in the onion, carrot, and parsley root (or parsnip), and braise.
• When the cabbage and potatoes are finished simmering, add the beet mixture, the onion mixture, the peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves--and cook another 10 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped garlic, the remaining bacon fat, and the chopped parsley.
• Then turn the heat down to a very low simmer, lightly cover the pot, and simmer very slowly for about 4½ hours.
• Turn off the heat, let cool, and allow to ripen for about 12-18 hours.
• When ready to serve, reheat gently then ladle into bowls.
• Top each with a teaspoonful of sour cream and serve with a slice of dark rye bread.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a pot, add 6 cups of the water and pinto beans and simmer for about 1 hour or until beans start to split. Make sure the beans are covered with water at all times during simmering. Save water along with the beans to add to borscht later.
• Peel and shred red beets, then place in a large cooking pot and add 6 cups of the water. Boil beets until just tender, but do not overcook. Save water along with beets to combine later with the remaining ingredients.
• Peel and shred carrots, then place in separate pot along with 3 cups of the water. Boil until tender, but do not overcook. Save water along with carrots to add later to borscht.
• In a separate pot, add potatoes and 2 cups of the water and cook until tender. Mash potatoes in their own liquid and set aside to add to borscht later.
• In a separate pot, add chopped celery, chopped onions, diced green and red peppers, chopped garlic, 4 cups water and chicken soup base and simmer until vegetables are just tender. When tender, transfer to the cooking pot with beets.
• Add cooked beans, carrots and mashed potatoes to cooking pot. Now add vegetable broth, mix well and bring to boil. Add instant potato flakes, black pepper, soy sauce, dill weed, sugar, vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. If borscht appears too thick, add additional water and cook for 2 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings to taste. If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream.

UKRAINIAN MEATLESS BORSCH (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• Pour hot water over the mushrooms, drain, and wash.
• Cover with lukewarm water and soak for 30 minutes or longer.
• The period of soaking will depend on the variety of mushrooms used.
• The boletus variety (white hryby) requires little or no soaking.
• Cook the mushrooms in the same water in which they were soaked until they are tender.
• Cook the onion in the oil until slightly wilted.
• Add the beets, parsley, peppercorns, and water.
• Cover and cook until the beets are barely done.
• Add the carrot, potato, and celery, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
• At this stage put in the cabbage, and cook until it is tender but not overcooked.
• The cabbage should retain some crispness.
• Add the remaining ingredients.
• Use the beet kvas or lemon juice with discretion.
• The borsch should be mildly tart but not sour.
• Season to taste.
• Finally add the cooked, chopped, or whole mushrooms along with the mushroom stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Serve.
• BEET KVAS Wash and pare 10 to 12 medium beets, then cut into eighths.
• Put into a stone crock or any earthenware container and cover with boiled water, cooled to lukewarm.
• To hasten fermentation, place a slice of sour rye bread among the beets.
• Cover and keep at room temperature for a few days.
• When the liquid is sour, pour it off the beets into the sealers; cover, and keep in the refrigerator.
• The kvas is added to borsch in the final stage of cooking.
• Pour a small quantity of kvas into the borsch and bring to a boil.
• Overboiling fades the color of kvas.

UKRAINIAN RED BORSCHT SOUP

Steps:

• Crumble the sausage (if using) into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.
• Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream, if desired, and fresh parsley.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large casserole combine meats with broth or water, bay leaf, peppercorns and allspice, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, skimming frequently, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Strain soup, reserving broth and meats separately. Remove meat from the ham hocks, discarding any gristle or bone and cut it into dice. Cut beef into cubes. Return meat and broth to casserole and add beets, vinegar, tomato mors or paste and sugar; simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
• In a skillet set over moderate heat melt butter, add carrot, pepper, onion and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened; add to casserole. Add potatoes and shredded cabbage to casserole and simmer 10 minutes. Add kielbasa and simmer 5 minutes more. Stir in kvass to taste, dill and garlic and let stand 10 minutes. Serve soup with slices of roasted goose, dill sprigs and sour cream for garnish.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Gently cook the onion and garlic in butter in a large saucepan until tender.
• Cook beets for about 10-15 minutes in boiling water or stock, then add the carrots. Boil for another 10-15 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and dill. When potatoes are still firm (but not hard), add cabbage and beet leaves.
• Add celery, sausage and tomatoes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add peas, sour cream (stirring out the lumps) and salt. Simmer, half covered, until remaining vegetables are tender (but not mushy).
• Stir in vinegar and serve hot.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Grate the carrots, beets, celery and cabbage on a medium size grater. I use the attachment on my Kitchenaid as this reduces the chopping time tremendously.
• Dice the onion, and together with the shredded cabbage, fry in a bit of oil until the onions are light in colour.
• Add the beets to the water; bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 30 minutes. To keep the colour in your beets, add the tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Add the rest of the vegetables and once again, bring to a boil. Turn down your heat to simmer. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the fresh dill.
• Add the tomato juice. I very often use tomato sauce but I have also used undiluted tomato soup at times.
• Dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup of water and add this to the simmering borsch. It'll thicken the soup.
• Taste and adjust with salt & pepper. Lately I have been leaving out the salt as the tomato juice or sauce already contains a fair amount.
• Just before serving, add a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• To prepare Ukrainian Borscht, one should take some meat and finely chopped boiled vegetables, and then mix them in boiling water. Add seasoned tomatoes and spices, Before serving add sour cream.To properly serve Ukrainian borscht is another story. So here are a few more notes to finish our borscht recipe. You can also add some additional flavors to compliment borscht, so here are some traditional variants.According to Ukrainian cooking traditions we often use sour cream for different dishes. Add a table spoon of sour cream in your soup bowl; sprinkle with a little bit of chopped parsley and dill. Put a broken pod of red pepper in a bowl for a few seconds. Be careful however because it is pretty spicy! If you are expecting some dear or important guests, you can amaze them with pampushkas. Pampushkas are the small buns spread with a mix of pinch of paper, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 1 tea spoon of vinegar, 1.5 tea spoons of sunflower (or vegetable) oil, and a few drops of water (see the picture above). You can experiment with borscht recipes as much as you want, but one thing you should remember about traditional Ukrainian food is very moderate and balanced. We don't use anything that is "too much". Try to experiment and see what you can do to invent your own borscht recipe. It may very well still remind you of Ukrainian borscht.

UKRAINIAN RED BORSCHT SOUP

Steps:

• Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT WITH LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• Place lima beans in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute. Drain, return beans to pot and cover again with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and let simmer for 30 to 60 minutes, or until beans are firm but not mushy. Add salt to taste in the last 10 minutes. Let cool in liquid until needed.
• In a 6-quart stockpot, melt the butter. Add garlic and onions and cook over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes, or until onion is transparent. Add cabbage, tearing long shreds into smaller pieces. Add tomatoes; cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots, celeriac, stock, and salt and pepper to taste; cook, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.
• Add half the beets, the potatoes, beans, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, dill, and shredded beef, and cook 20 minutes more. Add remaining beets and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer, until tender. Adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with more fresh dill.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• 1. Sauté together all ingredients except broth and sour cream until soft in a little canola or vegetable oil.
• 2. Add broth and cook at simmer 1-2 hours
• 3. Serve with more fresh baby dill and sour cream dallop.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• 1. You will need a 5-6 quart cooking pot.
• 2. Cut the meat in pieces, place them in a pot filled with the cold water. Bring to a boil, skim off any fat on the surface. Cover and cook for about 1 hour.
• 3. While meat is cooking, chop the beet as thin as you can, put it in a frying pan, add sunflower or vegetable oil, and fry until soft (don't make it too soft!). You can add 1 tea spoon of vinegar to save beet color.
• 4. Chop cabbage (try to make the slices thin), peel and chop potatoes.
• 5. Chop 3 carrots, 2 onions, 2 parsley roots, fry them until the onion starts to turn golden.
• 6. When the meat is ready, add some salt, 2-3 bay leaves, peppercorns, potatoes.
• 7. In 5-10 minutes add fried carrots, onions, parsley roots, and beets. Add chopped cabbage. Slow cook about 10 minutes.
• 8. Add 2-3 table spoons of tomato paste, wait until it boils. Add a little bit sugar if it is too sour for you. Turn off the stove.
• 9. Cut salted salo into the tiny cubes. Chop 0.5 head of garlic and the dill. Grind them together in a deep bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir into cooked borscht. Enjoy!

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a medium size saucepan, add pinto beans and 6 cups water, bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans start to split.
• Make sure beans are covered with water at all times during simmering; add additional water if required.
• Save water along with beans to add to borscht later.
• Peel and grate beets.
• In a large cooking pot, add grated beets and 6 cups of water.
• Boil beets until just tender, DO NOT OVERCOOK.
• Peel and grate carrots.
• In a separate medium size saucepan, add grated carrots and 3 cups of water, cook until just tender.
• Add cooked carrots and liquid to the pot with beets.
• In another separate medium size saucepan, add diced potatoes and 2 cups of water and cook until tender.
• Mash potatoes in the water and add to the cooking pot with beets.
• In a separate large saucepan, add chopped celery, chopped onions, diced green and red peppers, chopped garlic, 4 cups of water, chicken soup base and simmer covered until vegetables are tender.
• When tender, add to the large cooking pot along with the liquid.
• Add vegetable broth to cooking pot, stir well and bring to boil.
• Add instant potato flakes, black pepper, soy sauce, dried dill weed, sugar, vinegar and cook for 5 minutes.
• If borscht appears too thick, add additional water or chicken broth (one cup at a time) and cook for 2 minutes longer.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• If soup tastes too sweet, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and stir well.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
• Refrigerate any unused portion.